Welcome to the Visibility Matters wikispace, a space designed for sharing our stories of the institutional impact of the Visibility Matters project. We also invite questions and comments; it is our goal to improve teacher education, with regard to LGBTQ issues, in Illinois and beyond. Please use the discussion tab above to join the conversation.

May 4, 2010
One Year Later:
Majority of Illinois Colleges and Universities Still Flunk LGBTQ Equity

Read the press release here.

Read the initial report card:
The Visibility Matters Project report card and more information can be found at the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance webpage www.illinoissafeschools.org. Here's an excerpt from the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, with links.
  • Visibility Matters: LGBTQ Presence (or lack thereof) in Teacher Prep in Illinois:

The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance (the Alliance) just released Visibility Matters, the first statewide report card on LGBTQ presence in higher education and teacher preparation in Illinois. This landmark report examines the inclusion of sexual orientation (SO) and gender identity (GI) in university policies related to anti-discrimination and in student codes of conduct, and for SO and GI specifically in teacher education programs. Seventy-two percent, or forty-one out the state’s fifty-seven teacher education preparation programs, received a failing grade of F. The Alliance, through its Pre-Professional Preparation Project, is mailing the report to all 57 programs throughout the state, along with recommendations for increasing the presence of SO and GI in policies and curricula. For more information, please contact Shannon at shannon@illinoissafeschools.org
View the report summary with comprehensive report card here
View the full report with detailed information on each school here (note: to easily access information on an individual school, click on 'bookmarks' in the document, then click on the school's name)
View the full press release here
View the Windy City Times article about the report here